Self-starting device for internal-combustion engines.



L.' T. WEISS, J11. v SELF STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

I APPLIOAT ION FILED 001. 25, 1911. 1,023,903.

Patented Apr. '23, 1912.

[0L MW m mu LOUIS '1. WEISS, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1911. Serial No. 656,751.

ternal-Gombustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide means for the introduction into the cylinder or into each cylinder of aninternal combustion engine of a quantity of gas under pressure from some suitable sourceother than the usual carbureter, for the purpose of producing in such cylinder or cylinders an explosive mixture so that the engine can be started by the ignition of such explosive mixture before the engine operates on its own gas. Ordinarily such gas from an additional source of supply is admitted through the opening of a single valve and the quantity of gas admitted is therefore dependent upon conditions, such as the speed of movement of the valve, which may vary, so that the quantity of gas admitted is variable. This is very undesirable, not only on account of theuncertainty as to whether a proper explosive mixture will beformed, but also on account of the danger which may result, especially when, as is usual, the gas supplied is the acetylene gas from the storage tank.

It is the object of this invention to overcome these objections to the use of selfstarting devices as ordinarily constructed and to make provision for the admission to the cylinder or to each cylinder of a predetermined quantity of gas at each operation of the starting device so that such operation shall be both certain and free from danger. In accordance with the invention there are provided in the connection between the source of supply of the gas and the engine cylinders, two valves with a chamber of fixed volume between them, the valve adj acent to the supply being opened while the other remains closed, in order that the chamber may be filled with gas under pressure and then closed, while the valve nearer the cylinder is opened to permit the determined quantity of gas to flow into the cy1 inder after the other has been closed.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to its embodiment in a convenient and practical form as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a view in side elevation show- Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

mg a portion of an automobile engine.

equipped with the improved self-starting device. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing, on a larger scale the primary valve and one of the secondary valves shown in Fig. 1, the caps of the valve being removed. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the valves in different positions. Fig. 4 is a detail view in section through the primary valve.

The invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing as applied to a l-cylinder automobile engine, presumably of the usual -cycle type, but it will be obvious that the invention can be applied to a single cylinder engine or to an engine having any number of cylinders. The supply of gas for use in tion of the explosive mixture in the cylinder or in each cylinder. It is also presumed that the gas is pure or air-free and that the quantity of air necessary to form the explosive mixtureis that left in the cylinder or any one'of the cylinders when the engine stopped.-

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the .drawing the gas under pressure in the; tank a is permitted to pass there'- from through a cut-off cock I) and, preferably, a pressure regulating device 0, so that the gas may be supplied to the starting device under uniform pressure regardless of the diminishing pressure in the tank a, and a main delivery pipe (Z, to a primary valve e which, in any multi-cylinder engine, is also a distributing valve. From the valve e the gas is conducted through pipes, f,

etc., which also form chambers of fixed vol- 105 suitable manner and may, be operated by 110 any suitable means so that the primary valve shall be opened first to admit to the measuring chamber a definite quantity of gas and shall then be closed, and that the secondary valve, or each secondary valve, which was closed during the opening of the primary Valve, shall be opened after the primary valve closes for the purpose of admitting the gas from the measuring chamber to the cylinder. It will be understood that the secondary valve is a necessity in order to prevent the waste of gas as well as 'to insure the admission of a measured quantity of gas to the cylinder regardless of the condition of the exhaust valve or port of the cylinder, even in a single cylinder engine, and that it is especially desirable in a 'multi-cylinder engine because, without undue waste of gas and regardless of the interior conditions of the other cylinder or cylinders, it assures the introduction into one of the cylinders of the proper quantity of gas for the production therein, with the air already contained therein, of a proper explosive mixture.

In the construction shown in the drawing the main supply pipe d is shown as connected at d to the valve casing e which is provided internally with channels 6 controlled by a valve disk e having ports 6 The valve cap 6 is provided with ports e to which are connected the several pi es 1, f, etc., through which the gas is cond ilcted to the secondary valves. The" stem e of the valves has secured thereto an arm 2' which is connected to an operating rod 71. This is shown as extended through the dash k of the automobile and as connected to a lever i which may be operated either b the hand or by the foot, and as acted upon yaspring i to maintain all the valves normally in closed position.

Each secondary valve 9 may have a' construction substantially similar to that of the primary valve, comprising a disk valve g having a single port g to control the passage of gas from the pipes f, f, etc., through a passage 57 in the valve body 9 to the corresponding cylinders h, it, etc. The stem 9 of the valve has secured thereto an arm 77* which is connected to the operating rod i so that, for convenience, both the primary valve and the secondary valve may be operfted by a single movement of the hand or oot.

As clearly indicated in the drawing, all the valves are closed normally and when it is desired to use theself-starting device, the

hand or foot is applied to the lever 2' so as to move it in a forward direction against the 1 spring i All the valves are moved to} gether, but the ports of the primary valve and each secondary valve are so related, as clearly shown in Figs. 2" and 3, that during the first part of the movement the ports of valve includ the primary valve are opened while the port of each secondary v'alve remains closed, and

that in the continued movement of the actuating means the ports of the primary valve are closed and then the port of each second ary valve is open. When the primary valve is opened the gas from the source of supply is admitted to the chambers formed by the pipes between the primary valve and the secondary valves, filling such chambers at a pressure determined by the pressure in the tank a or by the regulating valve 0. When the primary valve is closed and the secondary valves are opened the gas in the pipe chambers flows into the cylinders, supplying to each cylinder a determined volume of gas under a determined pressure. It will be observed that by the closing of the primary valve, communication from one cylinder to another is cut off so that the quantity of gas admitted to any cylinderis not affected by the conditions in. any other cylinder. The primary valve is opened during the return movement of the actuating means, but the effect of this opening is only to recharge the pipe chambers between the primary and the secondary valves. The efiect of the forward movement of the actuatingmeans is therefore to build up the pressure in the pipe chambers to the redetermined degree 1n case it has fallen since the last of the starting device.

It will be obvious that the form and arrangement of the valves may be varied to suit different conditions of use and that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention 1. A self-startin device for an internal combustion engine aving a plurality of cylinders comprising a source of supply of as under pressure, a primary distributing va ve connected to the source of supply, separate connections from said primary distributing valve to each of the cylinders, a secondary valve included in each of said separate connections with a gas chamber interposed between the primary distributing valve and each secondary valve and means to actuate said valves whereby the primary valve is opened and closed while the secondary valves are closed and the secondary valves are previous use 7 combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders comprising a soureeof supply of gas under pressure, a primary distributing valve connected to said source of supply, se arate connections from said primary distri uting valve to the several cylinders, a secondary ta in. each of said separate connections with a gas chamber interposed between the primary distributing valve and each of said secondary valves and a common actuating means connected to all of This specification signed and witnessed said valves, said valves having their ports this 24th day ofOctober, A, D.,' 1911.

so disposed that the primar distributin Y valve is opened and'closed while the second v T. WEISS, J R. ary valves are closed and the secondary Signed in'the presence of valves are opened while the primary dis- .W. B. GREELEY,

tributing valve is closed. AMBROSE L. OSBLEA. Y

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for the cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I) G. a 

